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Curriculum

Our PGY-1–PGY-4 format enables us to provide our residents with strong clinical training along with additional skills and knowledge that will serve as the foundation of a rich, multi-dimensional career. We commit curriculum time, the wealth of resources in our department, and strong mentorship to help residents develop areas of interest so that, as their careers evolve, they will have the option to balance clinical work with other rewarding activities.

Five faculty members are dedicated to residency leadership, but all of our faculty members are actively involved in teaching, mentoring, and aiding resident career development in various capacities. The faculty consists of about 50 EM-boarded attendings. Seven are board certified in pediatric emergency medicine, three are board certified in toxicology, and others are fellowship-trained in critical care, EMS, health care policy, informatics, research, neuroepidemiology, and ED administration.

Conferences and Didactics

We hold formal conferences every Wednesday. Restructured work schedules enable our residents to attend these conferences, and we make every attempt to avoid residents having to work the preceding night as well.

Conference features include:

An outstanding regular series of Grand Rounds speakers from across the country

Joint conferences with neurologists, cardiologists, and surgeons to discuss areas of overlapping interest

We conduct morning teaching rounds daily at each clinical site. During these, a resident presents a case with a discussion and faculty contributes extra teaching points. A third-year teaching resident is available on weekday afternoons to guide junior residents through difficult procedures and to supplement the bedside teaching provided by the attendings. Because they do not have clinical responsibilities, teaching residents also have time to investigate interesting clinical questions that arise during a shift.

Responsibilities as a Resident

Your responsibilities as a resident will progress over the course of our program. PGY-1s concentrate on the basics of caring for patients, whereas PGY-2s learn to care for the most critically ill patients. PGY-3s add teaching to their roles, while PGY-4s learn the skills needed to manage a department through the Senior Role.

At both training sites, fourth-year residents are responsible for running a zone of the Emergency Department during their clinical shifts. All other residents and physician assistants in that area present their patients to the senior, who oversees care of the patients and manages patient flow. The skills developed by seniors in this role will be crucial to them as attendings. After managing zones in the fast-paced EDs in which our residents train, our graduates are prepared to work in any setting.

We dedicate the entire first month of the PGY-1 year to Orientation, ensuring our new residents have key emergency medicine skills and knowledge and allow new classmates to become acquainted. The schedule includes an Introduction to Ultrasound course, twelve hours of cadaver lab for procedure training, and lectures based on the American Board of Emergency Medicine core content. Interns certify in Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Advanced Trauma Life Support, and Pediatric Advanced Life Support. The month is also full of organized and spontaneous social events.

Senior specialty tracks are a unique feature of our program, and one that is immensely valuable to career development. These "mini-fellowships" during the PGY-4 year allow residents to develop their skills and knowledge further in an area of their interest, providing them with a niche within emergency medicine. Having a niche creates a dimension beyond clinical work which will help you develop a gratifying career and provide an edge in the job market.

Our residents can offer employers not only their excellent clinical skills, but also such extras as the ability to develop critical care protocols, teach ultrasound skills to others, help institute a computerized charting system, or participate in ED administration. Employers in the community as well as those in academic environments appreciate this depth of skill.

Senior residents carry a reduced clinical load during their EM months to allow time for work with a mentor on projects. Seniors may develop a custom Specialty Track with a mentor. Standard Senior Specialty Tracks are available in: